Concrete tile machine



Allg- 22, 1950 w. M. BEYERSDORFER 2,519,994

CONCRETE TILE MACHINE Filed July 8, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l. l l h L f LlU I r I t W.M.BEYEFSDORFER INVENTOR.

FIG. 9

7mm/Er A118' 22, 1950 w. M. BEYERSDORFER 2,519,994

CONCRETE TILE MACHINE w. J. B Ev E RSDORFER INVENTOR.

TORNEY Patented ug. 22, 1950 GONCRETE TIIE MAGHIINE William., M. .Beyersdorf-en.Glendale, Cali Application lul-W8, 1946;SerialNoGZ ('Cl..A 25u41) 1:5;Glaims. l

,Thisinventionrelatesatoapparatuszfor theeautomatic fm anuf aetureiofestructural :tile .fromeconacrete.

.The purpose :of `.the invention 'iszto provide .simple y:and :relatively inexpensive :machine ,for -the rabove fpurpose, `rcapableeof :operatingfatrhieh .speed without risk :of crushing or abreaking itlie product zand :functioning @with the :minimum fof l:attention andlabor.

:An exemplary form .of 'ztheeapparatus l is .illus- `trateciin the attached 4"drawings, :inw which:

Fig i3 is an `l`end 1 elevation r oi-theimachinepas r onthe line 3-3 ofFig.f1;;

,-Fg. yis :a :cross section as von :thelineaL-emof Fig. 1;

Fig. A5is a side velevationfoi'theooncnete hopper 13 Iof Fig.'1;

i Fig. iiisfanplaniview of Ia iportioniiof tliepallet :supporting mechanism, as Lon the vtline 6e-6 f oi :Fig 3;

Fig. 'Tis aside elevation of thel same, as'onithe linel-'l of 'Fig.f.6;

LFig. 8 `is a detailo'fpart of :the pallet 'feeding `mechanism generally-indicatedfat v55 fin4 Fig. :1

Fig. 9 is a plan view iof '-thctiming :control "means generally vindicatedrat': inF-ig. 1

Fig. `l0 is Vplan `view of an fniernplaey tile Vvmoldl block, and

Fig. 11 is a longitudinal section ofthe same, :as on the line I I-4H offFigflO.

It may facilitate understanding of .the 1st-ruc- 1ture to y give 'first a brief description :of f its functions. bed plateto =a position beneath a`h`opperfrom which it is lled with concrete in thickly filuent condition. Vibrations are transmitted through the'fbed platefto consolidate the-material inthe 'molds from the hopper, an Aextensionplate level with the upper edgeA of lthe fmold following its Vmovement to closethe ylowerend of "thehopper. fAt the end of this lateral movement a plungeremoves downward-1y Ito extrude the -l`tile ontof'auwooden pallet, which is lowered as'thetile passes out of the mold. The lmold then returns Ato be =re charged while the pallet continuesits downward 'movement until it encounters a continuously moving conveyor belt bywhichfit-iscarried away.

Another` pallet is then drawn iin-to `position'toifreceive the next tile, being'taken-fromfthefbottom of a stack of pallets held'ina feeding rack.

Referring now 'to '.Figs. 1,52 .andi3, thefrarnework oi the apparatus consists fslalbaserzposts A bottoinless mold block is moved -over a The block is #then vmoved later-ally away y 2 e Z|,1.side members `2:2, .extensionrmembers 23,129. ',.gallowsyframe Hand a :hopper frame E25. .The phaser-may desirably ,be-welded; up from tank plate, ,fthe #remainingrv elements zbeing Vof kfsuitalole 'strnc- .tural-shapes.

.The A-Ll'ller:faces of sidearnemherszz22 .areaplaned Vtohaordga. levelitrack Von :which a travellingrplate 25, preferably mounted on pin bearingarollers 1,21, .isrecprOGated by apistonlod .12'8 .worlngdn a .double-:acting rpneuniatic :cylinder 29. Theu'fight :'handvzend (as illustrated) oithiszplatetisattached ftozarmold block whichalsoiszcarriedionirollers. :The .mold sbloek :and the travelling f plate eare so ypositior-iedthat their upper races I:are fplaneeanii level.

A concrete hopper 3| is supporte/d.from'hopper iframe 25; in such manner 1as:to b.e capable lof-vertical adjustment, as `for example tby .the studs :and pairsfof :nuts i132 ofFig. i5. i'Thelovrer :edge fief1 thefheppershouid .barely clear theiupperziaces of `:the nioldzblockend fplate, the `adjus'tmen-tiloefing 'rsuch `as '.to avoid excessive fifiction x-wit-hout incurring undue :leakage :As'indicat'edinaigi the inner faces of theihoppersareLared.odownwandlyitoz avoid `the s possibility of hangingmp of the nharge. v'Any-zconvenientfn-leans, notffshown, :may :be sprovid'ed :'orikeeping fthe hopper :dlled -with conerete While the machine issinfeperation.

immediately beneath th'e hopper :and spaced romit by the; exact thicknessv'o'f Vthe :mold block .isa avibrating plate i133 which ais: supportediat rits acornersby cross membersz (Figai) fand studsll 1 and isiti'edtdown byfassenrhliesfgenerallyfindieateil f-at 36, ea-ch '.oi `which includes i afrubber fd-angipenu 'ingi'ring 3l. 'Theiheig'lit of this plateiisfisoead Fjiustedathatxthei-lower :algerini moldtbloclefil .slides zfreely -Lover it ias the-block moves 5 into '.and :out idf fillinggposition.

..Tl'1e V'vibrating iplatei is 'provided centrally .'.with

'ra means generally `indicated at 38 for :producingr rapid vibrations oizveryismallmagnitude. This eelement istnotshown .in detail: as'various typesioi mechanical or magnetic :vibra-tor imay 'tbe :,used. Theepreferencefis forzan electricallycactuatediimpulse vibratorofthetypeknown conimereiallyaas .:Syntron,';orf aahighespeed, Vmotor-driven,:unbal- 'anced :revolving weight .may be substituted. VIn seither zcase the'adjustablexweolges .'39 mayiie' fused to limit 4the magnitude yof y the 'vibratory move- `ment.

`The igallows 'frame x24 provi'de'd :internally .withfzways "40 which :position two verticall-yffmovz-ing elements. The upperzef fthese elements,r,the r-lnuockout, consists ffof..a:rigid cross 'member M sfg'uided oy bearing rollers i142, this member .ibeing raised and lowered by a pair of double acting pneumatic cylinders 43-43 acting through lugs projected from the ends of member 4|. A group of plungers 44, formed to enter and pass through the openings in the mold block and attached to member 4|, eject from the molds, on the down stroke, the tile formed by the lling of the molds and the consolidation of the wet concrete by vibration. This extrusion of the tile occurs at the right hand end of the movement of the mold block and after a receiving pallet has been placed beneath it as next described.

The lower elements reciprocating in the gallows frame are the pallet supports located at 45 in Fig. 3 and detailed in Figs. 6 and '1. Each of these supports consists of an L-block 45 guided by bearing rollers 46 and having a projecting lug 41. The lower bar of the L is extended laterally as at 48 and each end of this lateral extension is pierced to receive a slip rod 49 which is urged upwardly by a coil spring 50, a retaining nut being placed at the lower end. The upper ends of the two rods at each side of the gallows frame are attached to a horizontal bar 52 which supports one end of the pallet. The two supports are raised or lowered simultaneously by two double acting pneumatic cylinders 53, coupled to lugs 41 as shown.

The pallet itself, indicated at 54 in Figs. 2, 3, 7 and 8, is a rectangular piece of thin wood, plyboard or composition, of such dimensions as to 4receive the tile ejected from the molds by one stroke of the plungers. The length of this board must be such as to permit it to pass between extension members 23 when supports 45 are lowered.

The pallets are stacked. in a feed rack formed by end plates 55 attached to the extension members 23 and small angles 56 attached to their sloping edges. The two angles at the forward (left) end of the rack terminate a sufficient distance above the ledges 51 on which the ends of the stack rest as to permit one pallet at a time to be drawn out -beneath them.

The pallets are drawn, one at a time, from the bottom of the stack by a feeding member58 which slides in guides, not shown, formed on the inner faces of members 23. The feeding member is attached to and moved in synchronism with the mold block by side arms 59. The bar 58 carries in pivots a light frame G0 from which lugs 6| project upwardly, these lugs being held in the elevated position by an overbalancing weight 62. As the feeder travels just below the level of ledges 51 on which the stack of pallets rests, an outward (right hand) movement of the feeder causes lugs 5| to be depressed and pass beneath the stack until they enter a pair of notches 53 formed near the rearward edge of the pallet. On a reverse (left hand) movement of the feeder the pallet is drawn onto the pallet support members 52, which at that time are close to the upper limit of their travel.

The' pallet is thus brought to a position beneath the mold block, which at this time is in the extended position, and as the supports 52 reach the upper limit of their travel the pallet is lightly pressed against the lower face of the block by springs 50. Plungers 44 then travel downwardly, ejecting the formed tile from the molds, the pallet supports simultaneously moving in the same direction and at more or less the same speed. Just prior to the end of the downward movement of the supports they pass below the upper surface level of a constantly travelling conveyor belt f two ends of cylinders 43.

4 83, on which the pallet and its load is deposited and carried away from the machine. The supports are held in the depressed position until the pallet has cleared, after which they rise to receive another pallet.

The timing of the air supplies to the cylinders and of the electrical supply to the vibrator is controlled by mechanism generally indicated at 64 in Figs. 1 and 9. Four cams 65, 66, 61 and 68, having arcuate faces of different radii, are mounted on a common shaft 69 which is driven through suitable reduction gear 10 by an electric motor 1|. The gear reduction is desirably so proportioned to the motor speed as to rotate the cam shaft at about three revolutions per minute. If preferred, a variable speed motor, or speed changing gears, may be used to vary the output of the machine which, under some circumstances, can be speeded up materially beyond three cycles per minute.

The cams contact push rods 12 which are urged against their faces by open coil springs 13. The arrangement of these cams as regards the length of the shaft is immaterial and the following arrangement is Iby way of example only. Thus, the push rod contacting cam 65 may actuate a four-way valve 14 from which tubing connections 15 lead to opposite ends of cylinder 29. Cam 66 similarly actuates four-way Valve 16 from which tubing connections 11 lead to opp0- site ends of cylinders 53, each of these connections being branched to place the two cylinders in parallel. Cam 61 vactuates valve 18 from which similar branched connections lead to the Cam 68 opens and closes an electrical switch 8U connected by leads 8| with vibrator 38.

The arcuate lengths of the cam lobes and their radial positioning on the shaft, controlling the order in which the Valves and switch reverse, are critical as regards order though there is some leeway as regards length. The arrangement of the cam lobes is best illustrated by a recitation of the order in which movements'of the three reciprocating elements occur. Starting with mold block 30 in position beneath hopper 3|, the sequence is as follows:

a. The mold remains stationary while it is filling by gravity and for a brief period thereafter during which switch is closed and the vibrator is in action;

b. With the extrusion plungers 44 fully elevated and the pallet supports 52, carrying an empty pallet, in partially elevated position, valve 14 admits air into the left end of cylinder 29, moving the travelling plate and mold block into contact with stop 82, the hopper being now closed by the travelling plate and the mold block being in register with the plungers. The same movement causes lugs 5| to engage the notches in the lowermost pallet in feed rack 55;

c. The supports 52 continue their upward movement to bring the empty pallet up to the bottom of the mold block;

d. Valve 18 moves in a direction to admit air tothe upper ends of cylinders 42, causing the plungers to eject the tile from the molds. Simultaneously valve 16 admits air to the upper ends of cylinders 53, causing the pallet supports and filled pallet to move downwardly;

e. Valve 18 reverses, admitting air to the lower ends of cylinders 42 and raising the plungers free from the molds. Supports 52 continue their downward movement, depositing the filled pallet on the conveyor;

f. Valve 14 reverses, admitting air to the right hand end of cylinder 29 and returning the mold to the starting position as in a above. rThis movement draws a pallet from the bottom of the stack and over the ends of flanges 51, permitting it to fall onto supports 52.

The movements above described are successive except as regards the pallet supports 52, the rate of movement of which must be exactly controlled, at least in the rising direction. Thus at the time at which the empty pallet passes over the ends of ledges 51, the supports must be above the level of conveyor belt 83 as otherwise the empty pallet will be carried away. The upward movement of the supports must not be completed until movement c is completed and the mold block is again in register with the ejection plungers. Consequently the rising movement of the supports occupies the larger parl; and the subsiding movement only a small part of the time of a complete cycle, a variation in rate for which the mere reversal of a valve does not provide. This variation in rate may be produced by throttling the air supply to the lower ends of cylinders 53, as for example by minute periorations in the discs of check valves, located as at 84 in Fig. 3 and so positioned that the disc rises when air is passing out of the cylinder and seats when the direction of air flow reverses. The rate of movement of the other two reciprocating elements, which may be the same in either direction, may be regulated by a needle valve or a fixed ori-lice interposed in one of the air conduits.

If an air supply for actuation of the pneumatic cylinders is not available from an outside source it may be provided by a small motor driven compressor, the capacity as to both volume and pressure varying with the size of the machine but being small in any case.

This apparatus may be provided with molds of any preferred arrangement, so long as they are open top and bottom, but the form illustrated in Figs. l0 and 11 is particularly adapted to this operation.

Referring to these figures, the outer frame 85, the partitions 85 and the cores 81 are formed of sheet steel and extend the full depth of the block. The cores are positioned by shallow bars 8B which produce only a groove in the upper face of the tile.

As an optional element, a steel strip 89 may be located at midlength, in the central bridge, providing a partial parting of the block of concrete which facilitates breaking it to form two tile of half length.

An additional optional element is a filler 90 which may be inserted at either or both ends of each mold to provide a channel for the placement of reinforcing steel to be grouted in place as the tile are assembled.

The apparatus above described may be operated at high speed without shock or heavy vibration, due to the use of pneumatic impulsion for the reciprocating elements and the provision of air cushions at each end of the actuating cylinders. The use of an elastic impulsion medium permits rapid acceleration and retardation of the reciprocating parts and permits their speeds to be accurately controlled. The mold block remains always in the upright position and the damage to freshly formed tile incurred in overturning molds is completely avoided. The tile, being ejected downwardly from the mold, are received on a resilient support which eliminates all shock or jar, and are not handled until they have set suiiciently to be stacked. Hand labor is reduced to that required to keep the feed rack filled with empty pallets. In brief, the structure disclosed is materially more economical, as to iirst cost, maintenance and Operation, than any similar apparatus of the Prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. Apparatus for producing concrete tile, comprising; a hopper for supplying a iiuent concrete mixture; a mold block having botto-mless openings of the form of the desired tile; a vibrating plate supported in fixed position beneath said hopper and spaced therefrom by a distance substantially equal to the depth of said mold block; a travelling plate attached to said mold block and level with the upper face thereof; means for periodically producing rapid minute kvibrations in said vibrating plate; means for horizontally reciprocating said mold block and said travelling plate between a position at which said mold block is beneath said hopper and a position at which said travelling plate seals the lower end of said hopper; a plunger element having plungers adapted to enter and pass through the openings in said mold block to eject formed tile therefrom; means for producing vertical reciprocation of said plunger element; means for supporting a single pallet in a position beneath said plunger element; means for feeding single pallets onto said supporting means as said mold block returns to a position beneath said hopper; means for vertically reciprocating said supporting means between a position at which said single pallet is at least closely adjacent the lower face of said mold block and a position at which said pallet may be removed from said supporting means.

2. Structure as described in claim 1, in which said vibration producing means is electrically actuated.

3. Structure as described in claim' 1, in which said reciprocating means are pneumatically actuated.

4. .Structure as described in claim 1, in which said reciprocating means include double-acting pneumatic cylinders, a four-way valve aiording communication between each said cylinder and a source of supply of compressed air, and cam means rotating in unison and actuating said valves to time said reciprocations in a desired order.

5. Structure as described in claim 1, including a continuously moving conveyor belt, and in which said pallet supporting means engages said pallet at opposite ends and passes below the upper surface of said belt prior to the end of its downward movement, thereby depositing said pallet on said belt to be removed from said supporting means.

WILLIAM M. BEYERSDORFER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the, file of this patent: Y

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,029,559 Pauly June 11, 1912 1,335,071 Moussette Mar. 30, 1920 1,716,349 Wallace June 4, 1929 1,921,003 Romie Aug. 8, 1933 2,237,918 Van Buren Apr. 8, 1941 2,341,012 Billman et a1. Feb. 8, 1944 

